5 Types of Brick Which Will be Great for Your Building Project

There are many types of bricks on the market whether new, handmade or reclaimed which makes finding the right ones for a particular building project seem like a daunting task. However, whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or a professional brick-layer, it is now possible to source all types of bricks online. The great news is that if you use an online brick matching service, it takes all the hard work out of the task whether the job in hand is a large project or something a little smaller. However, you do need to know what you are looking for when ordering the bricks because some are used on the exterior and some can only be used on the interior of a house. Below are 5 types of brick which will be great for your building project whether it’s decorative or interior brickwork that needs doing.

Common bricks are normally used for all internal brickwork that needs doing. They have much lower compression strength than facing or engineering bricks and as such they come in a variety of colours with various appearances too. Common bricks should never be used below ground though.

2 Engineering Bricks – Clay

Engineering bricks boast low water absorption and high compression strength. They can be either rated as being class A or class B with the former being stronger. Class A engineering bricks are the ideal choice for any below ground level brickwork that needs doing. They are also the right type of brick to use for Damp proof courses.

3 Facing Bricks – Clay

Facing bricks are used externally on buildings to add an attractive look to them. They are laid against internal block work or up against brickwork to add to the building’s aesthetic appearance. Facing bricks are available in lots of colours and sizes which make it easy to find bricks to suit the look of a property.

Reclaimed bricks are just what their title suggests and have been “reclaimed” from various sites that have been demolished. Some reclaimed bricks can be handmade whereas others could be various types of facing brick or engineers. The edges of reclaimed bricks are more often than not worn and irregular with many still having some mortar on them. They have detailing on them which characteristically are known as folds and they come if a variety of colours typical of older brickwork. The other consideration about reclaimed bricks are they come in Imperial sizes because of their age.

5 Handmade Bricks

Handmade bricks are made by people who manually throw clay into an appropriate brick mould. The bricks have typical creases in them which show they have been handmade. Although it is still possible to find handmade bricks which have been thrown by hand, the cost of them is prohibitive so the majority of handmade bricks on the market today are in fact made by machines which make them a more affordable option.

Conclusion

If you are planning to carry out some home improvements whether it’s an interior project like a new fireplace or other brickwork feature, choosing the right type of brick for the job is essential. If you own a period property, you may need to consider sourcing some handmade bricks so they fit in with the existing style of the building. Finding bricks has been made that much easier since the advent of online brick matching websites which usually stock a good range of bricks of every kind that would suit many building projects.